The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1887-01-27
FROM WASHINGTON.
The Delay OF Business in the
House.
Not Much Prospect of Revising the
Tariff at Present.
The River and Harbor Bill Passed tc
Third Reading.
Sharp Parliamentary Practice by
Friends of the Bill.
The Fishery Question to be consid-
cred by the House Committee.

The Fishery Question to be Consid-
cred by the House Committee.
Especial to the PREss)
WASHINGTON, Jan. 26.
Although the session is considerably more
than half over, only thirty days more re-
naming for work, only one of the fourteen
regular appropriation bills has as yet been
passed by both Houses, and the differences
between the two Houses thereon adjusted.
This is the army bill. The pension bill has
passed both Houses and will soon be agreed
upon. These two are all that have yet been
acted upon at all in the Senate, and the
House is not much further along. Some Of
the most important bills of all, among them
the post Office and legislative, executive and
judicial, have not yet been even reported to
the House. Unless the House moves faster
in the next two or three weeks than they
have in the last two, all night sessions and
Sunday sessions are likely to be required to
pass these necessary measures before the
4th of March. Every days delay now rem
done towards revising the tariff at this ses-
sion, and the talk Of an extra session of the
50th Congress to be called Immediately after
the adjournment of the 49th, for the purpose
of considering revenue matters. grows daily
stronger and stronger. There are enough
special orders already on the House calendar
to occupy every moment Of time not devoted
to appropriation bills, for much longer
time than the short remainder of this ses-
sion, and how in the midst of all Of them,
any other measure is to gain consideration is
icouundrum more easy to be asked than
solved. The Washington press and public
naturally favor an extra session, for Con-
gress is the making of the city in every way,
and the long recess from March 4th to De-
cember 9Th is a very dull time here, which
they are more than willing to have enliven-
ed by an extra session. 1t is perhaps not yet
safe to predict one, but it may at least be
considered among the possibilities.
The river and harbor bill was this after
noon Unexpectedly passed to the third read
ing. and put in position where it will easily
be sent to the Senate. BY curious parlia-
mentary complications it had been before
the House for a week, and had been so
opposed by ilibustering tactics
of dozen opponents that the first paragraph
of eight lines had not beee completed in com
mittee of the whole leaving twenty pages un-
touched. Finding that it could not be pass
ed at this session under the ordinary way
the committee in charge concluded to give up
their bill and substitute a single paragraph
of ten lines appropriating in gross 81 800, 600
to be expended by board of engineers as
they think proper in improving harbors and
rivers. So as soon as the bill was taken up
today an amendment was offered to substi-
tute the ten line paragraph. This was car
ried when the committee rose and reported
the bill to the House. Points of order were
made against the proposed substitution, but
the Speaker overruled them. After the pre-
vious question was ordered and the House
was on the point OF adopting the substitute
Mr.. Dingley of Maine, called the attention
Of the Speaker to the parliamentary situa-
tion and inquired whether if the House
should refuse to agree to the substitute it
would not under motion Of the previous
question be brought to immediate vote on
the third reading and the engros sing of orig
inal bill reported by the committee. The
Speaker replied that this would be the case.
Acting upon this suggestion the House i'm
mediately changed its purpose, refused TO
agree to the substitute, and then passed the
original bill to the third reading by vote of
143 to 81 just as it came from the committee.
Members who had been dlibustering for
week against the bill looked on in astonish-
ments to see their well devised distractions
melt away and the bill of twenty pages pass
without consideration of a single item. They
could only demand that the engrossed bill be
read which delayed the vote on its final pas
sage till tomorrow. The passage of a bill
by such a parliamentary maneuvre was
never before heard of, and not likely to be
tried again, prevented the adoption Of the
amendments agreed upon by the committee.
In relation to Portland harbor the committee
had agreed to substitute S25, 900 for the S1O,-
900 in the bill for the outer harbor. For
Back Cove $4,000 would have been appro-
priated. The appropriation for Back Cove
was not made in the original bill because by
some mistake the report Of the engineers re-
lating to Back Cove was presented under the
head of Portsmouth harbor, n. H., instead
of Portland harbor, Maine. Before its final
passage the bill will probably be amended IN
these particulars. Such is the intention of
the committee in charge.
The action of the House this morning in
authorizing the foreign affairs committee to
report the Senate fishery bill at any time is
considered as making its passage sure by the
House at an early date. The right to report
at any time can only be given by unanimous
consent and when given is generally held to
carry with it the right Of immediate consid-
Grafton when reported. The House commit
tee will hold special meeting tomorrow to
consider the bill, and it is certain to be acted
upon by the House within the next week 1t
is possible that the House committee may
amend the bill so as to make it obligatory in
stead of optional with the President to ex-
clude Canadian vessels from our ports. There
is hardly any doubt that the President will
approve Of IT.
Postal Matters.
The following changes are announced in
Star schedules in Maine:
lUl-AuBuStd 70 Ooulu l4ltChndiu. Leave
Augusta daily except Sundays at 4.3O p. m. Ar
rive at South Litchfed by 730 p m. Leave
South Ltchfeld daily except Sundays at $50 a.
m. Arrive at Augusta by $50 a. m.
Route 162-Liverm0re Centre to South Liver
more. Leave Livermore Centre daily except Sun
days at 7.30 a. m. Arrive at South Liyermore by
S.15 a. IN. Leave South Liyermore daily except
Sundays at 5.15 p. m, or on arrival Of mail on
route 1853. Arrive at Livermore Centre in 45
minutes.
Postal Appointments.
j. w. Andrews was today appointed post
master at South Woodstock, Me-, vice 0. l..
Fuller, resigned.
Treasurer Jordan Resigns.
Treasurer Jordan has rendered his resig-
nation to the President, to take effect upon
the appointment of his successor. He has
been offered the presidency of a bank in
New York with capital of $3,000,000.
Pensions Granted.
The following pensions have been granted
Maine claimants;.
Horace N. Jonnette, original, Palmyra.
Daniel Warren, original, Bangor.
James II. Cresey- Bath.
Isaac nj. C0okson, original, Oakfield.
R PattQrSOn Dpxfpr